Seafood for the Knowledgeable Wayfarer

Seafood is a delightful realm of taste and flavor, one of my favorites, and one often misunderstood. For anyone who's had a chance to have good seafood, you can immediately taste the difference between good seafood and, say, Red Lobster. This far mainland, it certainly can be hard to find decent seafood, but I'm always on the lookout for delicious possibilities.

The other day a couple friends and I stumbled upon the Water Street Oyster Bar, and I daresay it's some of the best seafood you'll find in San Antonio. The place is dimly lit and has two levels of seating, offering terrific atmosphere even if it can get loud. The workers are all well dressed and polite and even conversational if you so wish. Our waiter had a nice conversation during his stops at our table, and that kind of personability is hard to come by, and needless to say I appreciated it.

Now for the food: very well done. I had a blackened tilapia with a sort of heavy shrimp-laden sauce that was truly a treat for a skeptical tongue. The sides were nothing special tasting but the food presentation and composition was well arranged. My friends who were dining with me that evening tried everything from fried fish to oysters and calamari, all which received favorable reviews.

Seafood is easy to do bad and hard to do well, but Water Street Oyster Bar doesn't dissapoint. If you're old enough or classy enough, try a glass of the house red with your meal, and an already favorable experience gets even better. It is a bit expensive, but well worth it if you appreciate the sea and it's delicious bounty.

8/10

7500 Broadway St
San Antonio, TX 78209
(210) 829-4853

At 3am, nothing satisfies like the Great Orange Hut

If you've ever been up at 3 am on a weeknight, working late to finish a paper, or even just starting it, you'll probably understand the craving for late night brain food. And of course by brain food I of course mean greasy, guilty foods that you would regret at any other time of day.

Is there a place for us, for those who put off our work until the last minute but still blame the system? Is there a sanctuary for those who would dare to explore the later hours of the night like pioneers in the dark if only there were a place to eat?

Ladies and gentlemen, there is such a place, and you probably already know it. Whataburger may not be fancy, Whataburger my not be good for you, but Whataburger is the shepherd where flocks of sleep deprived, overworked (or at least underproductive) college kids go to stuff themselves full of down-home food for less change.

I know this blog is usually dedicated to restaurants of a higher calibur, but there's something inviting about the Great orange huts: it takes all comers and instead of judgement, it hands out sweet hot burgers and shakes. If you haven't made a late night pilgrimage yet, you're missing out. And with a Whataburger right on Broadway, your list of excuses runs low. Besides, you'll probablly want to save the excuses for the professor.

10/10

Nearest Whataburger:
3130 Broadway St, San Antonio, TX‎ - (210) 822-2568

Taco Taco: Myth or Masterpiece?

San Antonio has a few merits to its name that make it an interesting city to live in, such as our team the San Antonio Spurs. Perhaps equally as famous and a whole lot more consistent is the infamous Taco Taco.

The place is small, often crowded, and it closes at 2 p.m. Despite things that might make this quaint establishment undesirable, it is heralded for having some of the best tacos ever. Yes, as in ever ever.

I'll be succinct.

I was nothing less than overjoyed to finally get to eat at Taco Taco, and when I arrived I was surprised at just how small and modest the place had remained, no doubt to hold on to some amount of "authenticity". The place was packed as is probably usual, and the service was apathetic at best. But lets get down to the nitty gritty: the tacos.

I was honestly wholly unimpressed with my tacos. Maybe it was just the kind I got, maybe it was just a bad day for them or me. I can't say for sure, all I can say was that the tacos I received were lacking in flavor and personality. The composition was unique for sure, but nothing about these tacos impressed me as much as I had hoped. I must have gotten my hopes up to high, but in any case Taco Taco failed to impress.

But, if you have the time to meet Taco Taco's narrow window of operation, it's not bad to say the least. In the end it's just my opinion you're reading, and the numerous amounts of people who enjoy and defend Taco Taco can't be wholly wrong.

I'll give Taco Taco a 6/10

145 E. Hildebrand - San Antonio, Texas 78212
(210) 822.9533

Panchitos

If you don't already know, I'm a huge Mexican food snob. I grew up literally within 5 minutes of Mexico and am well versed to the food, and I have sadly discovered that it gets exponentially worse as you move away from the border.

For this reason, I've come to not expect much of Mexican food here in San Antonio, as it generally lacks spice, body, and authenticity.

Panchitos on McCullough, however, doesn't do a bad job. The service is fast enough but not much to speak of, the menu has all the staples and basics of this area of cuisine as well as some dishes from further south in Mexico which surprised and impressed me.

I ordered a standard combination plate to survey the restaurant. The enchiladas were basic but good, with a heavy cheese and meat sauce on top but the taco was altogether forgettable. The salsa was a highlight and had some deep, smokey tones to it but suffered from what much of mexican food does farther north: a general lack of spice. Restaurants sacrifice a lot when they mild everything to please the general population.

Overall I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking to spend an hour talking and enjoying decent food. The price tag won't make you cringe, it has a generally friendly atmosphere, and it at least doesn't massacre Mexican food like so many other places do, and that is worth the recommendation alone.

Panchitos: 7/10

Panchitos
4100 McCullough, San Antonio, TX 78212
(210) 821-5338

For those about to eat, I salute you.

To clarify the blog description further, I'm going to try to cover some places reasonably close to campus that offer a good time and good food for hopefully reasonable money, but keep in mind that my emphasis will be on good food, and I assure you the time and money will be well spent.


For my first recommendation, and probably strongest, I present to you GBG, or the Gourmet Burger Grill. A delightful place where burgers are plentiful and, for what you get, surprisingly cheap. A ten-to-fifteen minute drive from campus will lead you to this masterful menu where happiness tastes a lot like sourgdough buns.

The menu is extensive and beautifully customizable, with many healthy alternatives offered, but you shouldn't go here for health food. With your standard options like bacon cheeseburgers, more rare selections such as bison or kobe beef, and daily specials that not only offer great value but some delicious and exotic tastes, there's something to please anyone. The onion rings are simply immaculate, and I personally imposition you to try their sweet potato fries, a infallible compliment to any meal.

The store is clean and atmospheric, the service is expedient and the workers try their best to feign personal interest but it's at least unobtrusive and does little to take away from the experience.

With burgers ranging from $6 to $12 to begin with (although I've customized one up to $20, I love cheese), it's a value that shouldn't be missed.

Best burgers I've had in San Antonio, period.

10/10

http://sanantonio.citysearch.com/profile/45633736/san_antonio_tx/gourmet_burger_grill.html